The present invention relates to flight deck doors and more particularly to ballistic and intrusion resistant doors in a commercial aircraft.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued new requirements for flight deck doors of commercial aircraft to meet new ballistic and intrusion criteria. The flight deck door of most commercial aircraft provides for ventilation and pressure equalization between the flight deck and passenger cabin. Some abnormal events, such as a windshield break due to a bird strike at cruising altitude, result in a decompression of the aircraft. The internal structure of many commercial aircraft may be seriously stressed by significant pressure differences between the separate compartments. These compartments, such as the flight deck, cabin and avionics compartment are separated by floor, wall and ceiling panels and doors which can be attached to the air frame. Ventilation and blowout panels can be located between separate areas of an aircraft to allow for rapid pressure equalization of these areas to reduce stresses on the air frame as a result of aircraft depressurization.
Typical prior art devices for pressure equalization between compartments of a commercial aircraft utilize grill openings and blowout doors, such as disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,401, Compartment Partition and Pressure Relief Door Therefore, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,129,312, Aircraft Decompression Vent Assembly. While these devices have proved to be effective for their intended purposes, they nevertheless were not designed to meet the stringent, present ballistic and intrusion requirements.
Flight deck doors of many commercial aircraft are installed separately from the door frame pieces. A ballistic and intrusion resistant door will necessitate installation of a door frame that can withstand the same initiating events as the door design. Conventional doors and frames for a commercial aircraft are low frequency failure items and are rarely replaced. Mandated replacement of all flight deck doors of commercial aircraft would require an excessive amount of aircraft down time if conventional installation practices were used. A modular frame/hinge/door/latch unit could be installed in less time than required to install these components separately.
Therefore, the need exists for a ballistic and intrusion resistant door between the passenger cabin and flight deck of a commercial aircraft that has an integrated ventilation area with a modular construction that allows for rapid change out.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating one or more preferred embodiments of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
The present invention is directed to a ballistic and intrusion resistant door to protect pilots from an attack during flight. As will be described, a ballistic resistant material is included in the coristruction of a flight deck door. This material strengthens the overall door structure thus providing for additional stiffness and intrusion protection.
In another aspect of the present invention, the door has larger dimensions than, and overlaps, its associated door frame when closed to reduce any susceptibility to prying. The door opens toward the passenger cabin to provide additional intrusion protection and, thus provided, can significantly limit the possibility of being kicked or forced open.
The improved door can be provided as part of a modular unit including a frame, hinge, locking mechanism and provisions for installation. In this manner, the modular unit can be readily installed (i.e., retro fitted into existing aircraft) to limit aircraft down time.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a ventilation area with a blowout panel is integrated into the improved door to provide for pressure equalization on either side of the door. This ventilation area utilizes ballistic resistant materials that are positioned so as to permit air flow through the flight deck door while maintaining the desired ballistic and intrusion resistant characteristics. A smoke cover can be provided for the ventilation area to lessen the effectiveness of a gas attack and to lessen smoke penetration in the flight deck in the event of a cabin fire.